Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist — commonly sold under the brand names Ozempic in injectable form and Rybelsus in pill form.
Although the FDA approved semaglutide for weight loss in 2021, this medication isalso used in treating type 2 diabetes and in reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke in people with type 2 diabetes. It helps to treat type 2 diabetes by prompting the body to make more insulin and reduce blood sugar while sending messages to the brain that one is not hungry.
Oral tablets and injections are both effective ways to ingest semaglutide. A recent research on GLP-1s concluded that once-a-day oral semaglutide is as or more effective for weight loss than injectable versions of semaglutide, as well as in reducing HbA1C in people with diabetes.
Semaglutide injections are generally done once a week. However, it is important to not stop taking semaglutide without discussing it with one’s doctor first. If one misses a dose, one should inject the missed dose as soon as possible. It is important to note that one should not consume an extra dose or double dose for the missed shot.
Oral semaglutide tablets can be taken once a day. It’s typically recommended that these tablets be taken right when onewakes up in the morning at least half an hour before eating or consuming other medications and with only a small amount of water. Moreover, one can switch from one of these medications to the other with one’s doctor approval and guidance.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both oral tablets and injected semaglutide.
Oral tablets
- Do not require the use of needles.
- Are typically taken daily.
- Can result in side effects like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
- Recommended to take on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and to not eat for 30 minutes after.
Injections
- Require the use of needles.
- Are typically taken once a week.
- May cause possible side effects, which can include injection site reactions.
- Does not matter whether food or liquid has been consumed before or after the injection.
More to say, semaglutide can be injected subcutaneously into the upper arm, thigh, or abdomen. It can be injected in the same area of the body as insulin, but the two should not be injected next to each other. People injecting semaglutide should also remember to rotate the injection site after each shot. This is important because injecting in the same spot repeatedly can cause scar tissue to develop on that site, and the body may not absorb the medication effectively.
(Author is Physician/Diabetes Expert and Health Columnist. Feedback: [email protected])
